D. Milovidov: investigation of "Nord-Ost" case may last forever

Today, Moscow continues to commemorate the victims of the terror act committed four years ago during performance of musical "Nord-Ost" in the Dubrovka Theatre Centre.

The investigation of the case of the terror act in the Dubrovka Theatre Centre in Moscow in October 2002 is practically frozen, Dmitri Milovidov, member of the Coordination Board of the Regional Public Organization to Promote Defence of "Nord-Ost" Victims, told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

"The investigation has failed to detect Basaev's guilt, except for one video tape that allegedly shows appointment of the commanders of the "Nord-Ost" operation," Milovidov notes. "And we are afraid that tragedies will not stop with his death: there are Russian and international sources of funding terrorism, and there is a base for terrorists."

In the words of the human rights activist, already after 2003, the investigation into the Dubrovka act of terror was developing, or better say "hanging about" several points: "They include a search of the heads of the organization that had funded terrorists (the "Prima-Bank" is suspected) - banker Barkinkhoev and his employees. Besides, for several years they have been searching certain Hassan Zakaev and Gerikhan Dudaev - accessories of Elmurzaev, known also as Ubu-Bakar, who had prepared the act, according to the investigation. Four terrorists have not been identified. The mediators are still searched who helped terrorists to buy cars and hire apartments. Until now, they are searching one of women-terrorists, who was sent, according to materials of the investigation, by presently convicted terrorists' accomplice Myrdalov back to Chechnya without performing the task."

"They explain to us: "once you come here, ask questions and request something, the investigation will last forever. Therefore, the terror victims cannot familiarize themselves with complete materials on the case, since under the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure, the victims are admitted to the investigation materials only after the completion of the investigation procedure. If, of course, the materials will not be made classified. Another nasty trick is that upon completion of the investigation, the case will be sent to archives, since there is no real living respondent for the terror act," Dmitri Milovidov, who lost his daughter in the Dobrovka theatre, comments.

As a result, the "Nord-Ost" victims cannot get any compensation. "Well, and what sort of compensation can we get, when the performers of terror acts have no official property? The state takes no responsibility before the terror victims. Other countries have well-established systems, when the accounts of the entities that funded terrorists are arrested, and a part of the funds on these accounts goes directly to help the terror acts' victims. We have no system of that sort. This June, the FSB declared an arrest of the accounts of such organizations in Russia. 35 persons participating in the activities of this organization were detained. As far as I remember, some 40 million roubles were confiscated from the culprits. However, for lack of the proper system, the terror victims got nothing of this money," D. Milovidov says.

On behalf of the victims of the terror act in the Dubrovka theatre, two complaints have been lodged to the European Court of Human Rights on violation by the Russian Federation of Articles 2 (right for life), 6 (right for fair trial), 8 (right for respect of private and family life) and 13 (right for efficient legal defence) of the European Convention of Human Rights.